This anonymous tip from a military wife landed in our inbox this morning.
It may be the same person who wrote this account of her husband’s experience in Afghanistan and the subsequent effects on their family to Crikey roughly four months ago, but we can’t be sure, given the correspondence is encrypted and we have no way of communicating with this person.
She writes today:
While all the argy-bargy over Julia and Tony visiting Afghanistan is going on, several hundred of our front-line soldiers (including my husband) are finally on their way home. Over the next two to three weeks, most of the battle group that we have heard about, mourned, praised, debated and prayed for will be returning home after around nine months away from their families and loved ones. I’m wondering how much media coverage that will get?
In his letters and emails home to me these past months, my husband has often referred to the little things that people get worked up about, and how they seem insignificant now. Can you imagine what he and the others are going to think coming home to the headlines that we are seeing lately? I think most of them would be shaking their heads going ‘you are f-cking kidding, aren’t you?’ I know that most of their partners and families are.
If the PM and the opposition leader are really serious about showing their support for the troops, they will (quietly and without grandstanding) attend the official welcome home parade on November 20 in Brisbane, rather than the PR stunts and point-scoring bullsh-t that’s been going on lately. Shame on both of you.
Inspired by the new heights that our political discourse over Afghanistan reached this week, and in the lead up to a parliamentary debate next week, we’re kicking off our ‘Rethinking Afghanistan’ series today. Over the rest of the week we will be seeking a number of views on Australia’s position on Afghanistan — from political, military, domestic, and philosophical perspectives.
But in the meantime, we’re most interested in hearing from the people who are actually living this war. That includes you, tipster. If you’re reading, we’d like more please.
Gee, why don’t you get out of Canberra and go and visit the poor bastards who have been trapped in Curtin or Leonora in an illegal prison for the past 6 months after escaping 30 fucking years of the war because I am over the bloody soldiers and their bullshit.
@SHEPHERDMARILYN – I’m with you! Funny how nobody cries out in frustration for the who knows how many Afghanis, who are going demented with the constant bombardment/invasions in their country for over 30 yrs. Like you, I’m over the bullshit too! I can’t support the troops and oppose what they do! So, I don’t support the troops. My kids paternal grandfather lost his leg in Tobruk – he was one of the most anti-war people I’ve ever known. He suffered pain and disability for another 60 yrs – never heard him complain, ever! I don’t think he’d appove of invading countries that were of no threat to us. He certainly didn’t want his grandsons joining the military. He was anti-war!
As you correctly point out – those locked up in Curtin or Leonora have ‘committed the crime’ of being able to leave their tortured/destroyed homeland – due to us and the US etc.
@Liz, Marilyn: A rough attitude for the actual soldiers, you’d do better spending your ire on those that sent them there. As for wars in Afghanistan, they’ve had them far longer than that. 1885, off the top of my head. (with Russia)
Is it impolite to ask what are the pay rates and benefits of the military who might otherwise say go into trades or higher education for half a decade? Just wondering. It’s grim to say this is the blood money the State pays for having solidiers, but just like adventure sports and other risky occupations what is the level of acceptance or bargain by the soldiers themselves? A morally tricky discussion I’m sure, but I would appreciate some nuanced reportage of the soldier’s thinking in terms of masculinity, adrenalin, danger money, see the world, off the streets and out of the pub, free discipline for wayward souls, family tradition etc.
Is it a self selecting profession, just like crocodile hunters and kangaroo shooters who like guns as tools? In which case the patriotism surrounding the military a little sanctimonious (?)- to borrow an Abbottism?
We had the Australian Story recently of the war journo from Brisbane who gave the distinct impression of being bored witless by normal life (which I can relate to a bit).